Washing machine drive mechanism



Nov. 3, 1936. R. R.'MILLER 2,059,264

WASHING'MACHINE DRIVE MECHANISM Filed June 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l lnvefli or RyaZRMz'lZer Nov. 3, 1936. R. R. MILLER WASHING MACHINE DRIVE MECHANISM iled June 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Inueni'ar Royal R- Miller" WASHING MACHINE DRIVE MECHANISM Filed June 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. '3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .WASHING momma DRIVE MECHANISM Royal R.

Miller, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Remi J. Gits, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 26, 1935, Serial No. 28,484

11 Claims. (01. 74-81) .mechanism arranged -to progressively rotate a driven member in one angular direction about a fixed axis while simultaneously oscillating the said driven member within predetermined angular limits about the same axis; to provide an improved oscillatingdriving gear mechanism arranged to engage a greater number of teeth of a meshed driven pinion when moving in one angular direction than when moving in an opposite 20 direction; and to provide an improved washing machine mechanism by which an agitator is oscillated simultaneously about a horizontal axis and a fixed vertical axis while rotating progressively in one direction about the vertical axis.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a washing machine showing the relationship of the agitator and the driving mechanism as associated 30 in the washing machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the driving mechanism appearing as though its casing were sectioned on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 is an'enlarged view showing the main driving elements as positioned at the end of their motion in a forward angular direction (to the right) and the beginning of their motion in the opposite direction (to the-left) Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the position of the elements when the pinion has reached the limit of itsbackward angular motion (to the left) Fig. 5 is a similar viewshowing the position of the elements at the beginning of their forward angular motion (tothe right) and after the driving gear segment mechanism has been actuated to increase the number of driving teeth thereon.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the elements after the pinion has been driven one tooth forward (to the right).

v Fig. '7 is an enlarged partly sectional view of the gearing as taken online 1-1 of Figs. 2 and 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional.

I Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the same as taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 5.

The improved drive mechanism is shown herein applied to a clothes-washing machine of the type disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 9,803, filed March 7, 1935, wherein a gyratory oscillating agitator, arranged to gyrate around a .fixed vertical axis while simultaneously oscillating relative to a horizontal axis, is provided.

Agitators driven so as to oscillate about a vertical axis are well known. However, an improved and more efficient result is had by imparting a constantly progressive rotary motion about the vertical axis in addition to the simple oscillating motion ordinarily employed,'whereby an entirely new water actionis developed and a more emcient' I agitation, of the material being washed is achieved.

' Such a combination of a constantlyprogressive rotary motion and simple oscillating' motion about i a common fixed axis is readily accomplished by the hereindescribed improved drive mechanism. However, when this mechanism is employed to drive the aforementioned gyratory oscillating agitator, the motion of the water held in the washer, and consequently the agitating effect on the material held therein, becomes very complex, due to the fact that the movement of the agitator is not only one of progressive gyration in one direction about the verticalaxis, combined with oscillation about the vertical axis and oscillation about a horizontal axis, but is also a wavemechanism is housed in a casing l, suitably v therein a dish-shaped agitator 4. The mounting of the agitator 4 is not shown in detail but is fully described in my aforementioned copending application, Serial No. 9,803. As shown the agitator 4 is carried by-ari armor crank 5 having a crank pin whose axis, indicated at A in Figure 1, is inclined upwardly toward the axis B of the' crank shaft, intersecting the axis B 'at the point C. t The crank 5 is fixed on the upper end of the zrank shaft G which extends throughthe bottom I the washing machine, by way of a journal housing 1, into the gear casing I where it is connected with the gear driving mechanism. The agitator 4 is Journaled on the crank pin so as to be freely, rotatable about the axis A and as will be,

cent the agitator 4 and the agitator is so positioned that the intersection C of the axes. A and B will be the spherical center of the bowl or tub 3.

As shown in Figs. 2 and '7, the shaft 6 extends into the gear casing or housing I through a pinion 8 and into a step bearing 9 projecting downwardly from the bottom of the casing The pinion 8 is freely rotatable on the shaft 6 and is provided at its upper end with a clutching portion I adapted to be engaged by a clutch H. which is keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft 6-. The pinion 8, being freely mounted on the shaft 6, is also vertically shiftable and any suitable shifting means, not shown, may be employed to engage the pinion, in the annular groove I2 located just below the clutch portion In, and shift the pinion upwardly so as to bring the clutch portion In into engagement with the clutch thus connecting the shaft 6 with the pinion 8 and the driving mechanism. In the form of driving mechanism shown in the drawings, the pinion 8 is engaged by a segment gear l3 which is arranged to be oscillated back and forth by a crank arm to drive the pinion first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. As shown, the segment gear I3 is pivotally mounted on a stub shaft l4 and is connected to a crank wheel l5 by means of a crank arm l6 whereby, upon rotation of the crank wheel IS, the segment gear is caused to oscillate back and forth on the stub shaft l4 and thus oscillate the pinion 8.

The crank wheel |5 is rotated by means of a worm gear I! which is driven by any suitable means, such as an electric motor l8. As shown in Figs. 2 and '7 the crank wheel I5 is also arranged to drive, through a chain of gears, a pinion l9 which is connected by suitable shafting 20, Fig. 1, to drive a wringer, not shown, preferably mounted at the top of the machine.

As shown, the segment gear I3 is split radially so as to provide a shiftable gear portion 2| which is in the nature of a second gear segment, positioned along side the mainsegment l3 so that when the two segments are in contact with each other the gear teeth continue uniformly from one to the other.

The shiftable segment 2| is also pivoted on the stub shaft 4, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and is positioned in a cored-out portion of the body'of the segment l3 with its toothed portion overhanging the lower margin of the segment l3 so as to be of the same width as the toothed portion thereof, as shown in Fig. 8.

As shown the segment 2| is provided with a pin 22 which extends beyond each face of the segment 2| and through suitable openings in both the upper and lower surfaces of the main gear segment l3. A spring 23 having one end fas tened to the pin 22 and the other end fastened to the body of the main gear segment I3 is provided to normally hold the shiftable segment 2| in contact with the main gear segment I3, so that the gear teeth on the combined segments will be continuous.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 9 the crank arm I6 is attached to the gear segment l3 by crank pin 24 and pivotally mounted on this same crank pin 24 is a shiftable dog 25 also housed in the coredout portion of the body of the gear segment I 3. As shown, the dog 25 is provided with two teeth 26 and 21 and is so arranged that when the do 25 is in its normal position,'to which it is urged by a spring plunger 28, the'teeth 26 and 21 will be exactly alined vertically with the teeth of the gear segment 2|, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown the dog 25 is so shaped that the teeth 26 and 21 cannot be projected beyond the teeth of the gear segments I3 and. 2| because of engagement of a shoulder 25.| on the dog with a wall |3.| of the cored-out portion of the body of the gear segment |3.

In the form shown, the segment 2| is provided with two teeth and the dog 25 is so proportioned that the teeth 26 and 21 thereof will register exactly with the teeth of the segment 2|. Thus were the two gear segments l3 and 2| held together throughout the entire stroke of the crank arm IS, the two gear segments and the dog would mesh exactly with the teeth of the pinion 8 without interference or interruption.

Means are provided, however, so that on the return stroke of the crank arm Hi, to the left in the drawings, as driven by the crank wheel l5, the segment 2| is stopped just before the crank arm I6 reaches the end of its return stroke, as shown in Fig. 4, allowing the main segment |3 to be pulled away from the segment 2 as shown in Fig. 5. This means is a lug or stop member 29 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the case I so as to engage a downwardly extending portion of the pin 22, as shown in Fig. 8. Upon engagement of the pin 22 with the lug or stop member 29 and the stopping of movement of the gear segment 2 the pinion 8 is also stopped, due to engagement of a tooth 3| thereof between the two teeth of the gear segment 2|.

As the crank arm |6 approaches the end of its backward stroke causing the gear segment |3 to separate from the segment 2|, the dog 25, be-

cause of its pivotal mounting on the crank pin tooth 3| of the pinion 8 a portion of the inner face of the tooth 21 is cut away, as at 30, to provide a better camming surface. Preferably a sufficient amount of the tooth 21 is cut away so that when the crank arm |6 has reached the end of its stroke and the tooth 21 drops into position behind the pinion tooth 3| held between the two teeth of the gear segment 2 the tooth 21 will not slap against the pinion tooth 32.

The crank wheel l5 and the crank arm l6 are so arranged that when the arm l6 has been pulled to the end of its backward stroke, the gear segments l3 and 2| will be separated by an amount equivalent to the pitch of the teeth on the gear segments; thus when the tooth 21 has passed over pinion tooth 3| engaged by the segment 2|, the tooth 26 will be so positioned as to be exactly alined with, or centered above, the space between the first tooth of the gear segment l3 and the last tooth of the segment 2|. Thus, upon the beginning of the forward stroke of the crank arm IS, the outer face of the tooth 21 will engage the tooth 3| on the pinion 8, as shown in Fig. 5, cansing the pinion to begin to rotate in a forward direction, to the right) and bringing the next successive pinion tooth 32 into position to be engaged by the tooth 26 of the dog 25, which acts on the 33 to be picked up by the leading tooth of the gear segment 13; thus permitting a continuous driving rotation of the pinion 8 as the crank arm continues its forward stroke. As the teeth of the gear segment i3 come into engagement with the pinion 8, the gear segment 2i becomes released therefrom so that it may be pulled back into its normal position against the segment ii by the action of the spring 23.

Thus if the gear segment i3 is provided with seven teeth, as'shown, and the segment 2i is provided with two teeth, and the gear segments are separated by an amount equivalent to the pitch of the segment gear teeth during one complete s roke in a backward direction, the dog 25 will serve to fill in that space and the gear segment will in effect be lengthened by one tooth causing the pinion 8 to rotateadistance equivalent to eight teeth during its forward movement. The a closing together of the gear segments l3 and ii for thereturn or backward stroke eliminates the extra tooth and the pinion 8 will rotate through an angular distance backward of only seven teeth.

In this manner the pinion will rotate eight teeth forwardand seven teeth backward during each --ean piece of material in the washer While at the sixteen oscillations.

cycle of the crank arm l8 and progress in a forward direction a distance of one tooth during each I crank arm cycle. Thus, if there are sixteen teeth on the pinion 8, the pinion will make one complete forward revolution for each sixteen oscillations or cycles of the crank arm IS.

Such operation of the mechanism and rotation of the shaft 6 will cause the crank 5 and the agitator l to oscillate back and forth horizontally about the axis B of the, shaft 8 and at the same time gyrate progressively in one direction about the axis B. making one gyration At the same time and because of the agitator being rotatably mounted on the inclined axis A, the agitator will tend to oscillate vertically about the point C, as described in my aforementioned application, Serial Number 9,803; thus providing simultaneous vertical and horizontal oscillation of the agitator while the same is being gyrated about a vertical axis.

The mainadvantages of my improved drive mechanism as associated with a washing machine are had in the improved agitation of the water and the material being washed so that the material not only tends to move continuously from the side to the center of the washing machine bowl and then back to the side while being shifted back and forth about the vertical axis of the ,machine, but also is positively and continuously carried around the said vertical axis in one direction. Such motion assures a positive turning over of same time obviating any possibility of the material becoming bunched, tangled or knotted even though the pieces are long and stringy,or thin and flimsy. Also the agitationis such that the thinnest or lightest of materials will not be torn or strained during the washing operation.

1 Although but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it is to be understoodjthat details as set forth may be a1- tered or omitted'without departing from the spirit claims: Iii claim:

ofthe invention as defined by the. following 1. A drive mechanism comprising a driven wgiiie making shaft, a pinion on said driven shaft, a driving member having a toothed surface in engagement with said pinion, means to shift said driving member back and forth in a fixed plane to cause said pinion to oscillate on its axis, and means arranged to cause a greater length of toothed surface on said driving member to engage said pinion during a movement of said driving member in one direction than during a movement of the same in the opposite direction. 4

2. A drive mechanism comprising a driven shaft, a pinion on said driven shaft, a driving member having a toothed surface in engagement member having a toothed surface in engage- 25 ment with said pinion, means to shift said driv- 1 ing member back and forth to cause said pinion to rotatablybscillate on its axis, said driving member being arranged to disengage from said pinion before reaching the end of its movement in one direction, means to stdprotation of said pinion as said driving member disengages therefrom, and

means arranged to cause driving engagement between said driving member and said pinion as said 85 driving member begins its movement in the opposite direction.

4. A drive mechanism comprising a driven shaft, a pinion on said driven shaft, 9. driving member having a toothed surface in engagement with said pinion, means to shift said driving member back and forth to cause said pinion to rotatably oscillate on its axis, said driving member being arranged to disengage from said pinion before reaching the end of its movement in one direction, means to stop rotation of said pinion.

as said driving member disengages therefrom,

and a shiftable toothed dog carried by said driving member and arranged to engage said pinion as said driving member disengages therefrom,

said dog being arranged to provide driving engagement between said driving member and said pinion as' said driving member begins its movement in the opposite'direction.

5. A drive mechanism omprising a. driven pinion, a driving member having a. toothed'surface in engagement with said pinion, and means to shift said driving member back and forth to cause said pinion to rotatably oscillate on its axis, said driving member comprising two sections each having a toothed surface successively engageable with said pinion and one of which is positively connected withsaid shifting means, the other of said sections being shiftable away from the first section and being arranged to engage said pinion before the first sectionv reaches the end of its stroke, means to stop rotation of said pinion as said other section becomes engaged therewith and permit separation of said sections, and means arranged to provide driving engagement between said driving member and said pinion in the space between said sections and upon separation of the same.

- '6. A drive mechanism comprising a driven pinion, a driving memberhav ing a. toothed surface in engagement with said pinion, and'means to 

